The Nightmare House, Sarah Allen
The Nightmare House, Sarah Allen
List: $16.95 | Sale: $11.87
Club: $8.47

The Nightmare House

Author: Sarah Allen

Narrator: Kelli Garland

Unabridged: 6 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/08/2023

Synopsis

From Sarah Allen, the acclaimed author of What Stars Are Made Of and Breathing Underwater, comes a chilling middle-grade tale of fear, friendship, and finding courage even in the darkest of moments. In this monster story that’s also an allegory for relentless anxiety, see how far a penny’s worth of hope will take you when you enter The Nightmare House.I saw a person with blank, colorless eyes … and this time, I wasn’t dreaming.Penny Hope used to be brave, but that was before she met the Fear Maker. Years later, he still haunts her nightmares―a tall, thin man with red eyes, in a haunted house in the woods, who devours human souls and leaves their eyes hollow and empty. Penny’s beloved grandma tells her to write down these nightmares as poems in her notebook. But then Penny starts seeing blank-eyed people in the waking world, too. She’s the only one who notices.

About Sarah Allen

Sarah Allen is the author of What Stars Are Made Of and Breathing Underwater, as well as poems for young readers that have been published in Cicada, The Caterpillar, and elsewhere. Born and raised in Utah, she received an MFA in creative writing from Brigham Young University, and now calls the Midwest home. She spends her nonwriting time watching David Attenborough documentaries and blasting show tunes, which helps keep her Fear Maker at bay. Find her online @sarahallenbooks.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Keisha | A Book Like You on September 04, 2023

I can’t begin to put into words what this book meant to me. The anxiety, the sunflowers, the Fear Maker, the Gardener. This is my perfect spooky middle grade book, seamlessly weaving in faith elements in lyrical prose. The perfect allegory. This is my new favorite middle grade book of all time. I’m......more

Goodreads review by Reading_ on March 08, 2024

I enjoyed the author’s other books but this one is just isn’t for me. It was unnecessarily long and the characters lacked connection with the writing.......more

Goodreads review by Beth on October 15, 2023

Nominated for 2023 Cybils Award I found this book gripping and suspenseful -- watching Penny struggle with her fears, wondering if they are real, wondering if she is losing her sanity, wondering if she is losing her Grandmother, and then making a friend to help her through. I liked how she assembled......more

Goodreads review by Theresa on September 23, 2023

This was a great, spooky middle grade book. Poetry plays a huge role and I really enjoyed a lot of the poems that were sprinkled in throughout the book. This story is a slow burn and I don’t think every reader will enjoy the pacing. Also, some events were a little confusing and I think some things m......more

Quotes

“A gorgeous book with scares enough for the brave at heart and heart enough for everyone. I loved every page.” Lora Senf, author of The Clackity

“The Nightmare House is timeless, exciting, beautiful, creepy, and above all, full of the hope that lights even the darkest nights.” Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author

“[Penny’s] poems weave their way through the narrative, fortifying Allen’s own lyrical writing and adding to the overall message that strength can be found in words and creativity.” Booklist

“Poetic prose and visceral emotion infuse realistic depth into this mood-driven, allegorical portrayal of mental illness.” Publishers Weekly

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